By monitoring your heart rate, especially resting heart rate, you can determine how your body is responding to your training. If your resting heart rate is getting higher this could mean you are over training which puts you at risk of illness and injury.

Also be aware of pain in muscles and joints. Over training painful muscles and joints can cause, what should be short term discomfort, to become long term damage and prevent you from competing.

So make sure you have rest days to allow your body to recover. When you avoid overstressing your body this maximizes the efficiency of your training and reduces the risk for injury.

Our fourth Training Tip is KEEP MOTIVATED

24 days until the big day when all your hard work is going to pay off!

But the days are getting shorter and the mornings and evenings colder. Your body might be feeling tired and sore in response to your training. So it’s important not to lose momentum now and sometimes, even with our goal insight, we can lose motivation.

So here are some tips to help you maintain that driving force to achieve your goal:-

Train with a friend who is also doing the race. A friend will keep you committed on those mornings when it’s dark and cold.

Monitor your resting heart rate (RHR) with a heart rate monitor to ensure you are not over training. If your RHR is increasing ensure you are having adequate rest days.

Eat well. Don’t miss meals and make sure the food you are eating is good quality, highly nutritious meals. It’s a perfect time for hot vegetable soups that are packed full of vitamins and minerals.

Stay hydrated. Make sure you drink lots of fluids. Dehydration can lead to exhaustion, muscle fatigue, cramps, loss of co-ordination and even make you more susceptible to colds and flu. So drink water before, during and after exercise.

Have fun – don’t forget your family and friends. It’s important to make sure your life is balanced so you, or your family, don’t feel resentful of the training you do.